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Vineyard owners worry about minimum wage hike

Taylor Bertelink/The Intelligencer

Tuesday, June 20, 2017
7:59:07 EDT PM

Taylor Bertelink/The Intelligencer
Catherine Langlois, owner of Sandbanks Winery gives the Minister of Agriculture, Jeff Leal (middle), a tour of the winery along with Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Todd Smith (left) and Prince Edward County mayor Robert Quaiff (right) on Tuesday after the Minister made his announcement.

Ontario Wine Week in the County raised mixed reactions of support and concern for the future.

Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, made an announcement of support to local vineyards in the county on Tuesday.

“I’m very pleased to announce that over the next three years our government is investing $45 million in the Wine and Grape Strategy to enhance productivity innovation and growth in this wonderful sector,” said Leal.

The Strategy created to support and promote the continued growth of the industry was first released in 2009.

“Ontario’s Wine and Grape sector is an important contributor to the $36 billion to Ontario’s agri-food sector. We have more than 200 wineries and 500 grape growers covering over 17,000 vineyards in this wonderful province,” said Leal.

The Minister explained the government’s plan to further help small and medium-sized wineries scale up and take advantage of the new retail opportunities in the LCBO and grocery stores through the Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Wine Support Program.

“To continue the importance of building a strong wine industry in Ontario we will continue to invest in promoting tourism, as well as helping our grape growers ensure that their wineries have consistent supply of quality Ontario grapes,” said Leal.

The news of the $45 billion investment was well received with applause and a toast, however some vineyard owners expressed concern regarding the increase of minimum wage on a very labour intensive business.

In May of this year the largest increase to the minimum wage was proposed by Ontario government, raising it to $15 per hour. This plan is said to create better jobs and fair workplaces but small business owners in the county like vineyard owner, Caroline Granger, has cause for serious concerns about how this will affect agricultural businesses like her own.

“Our biggest cost is the people that we employ — I don’t quite know what to do about it. The obvious answer is to raise the price of everything, which is fine, but then it starts a spiral effect,” said Granger, owner of The Grange Prince Edward.

“It’s just interesting on the eve of this announcement there is an announcement of a program that will claw back in the end more than what was offered. Where does this leave us,” Granger asked.

“It feels like it was a policy made for cities, and not for local businesses — the Minister is here for a positive announcement about support for the Ontario wine industry which is great. The support particularly helps small wineries like mine,” recognizes Ganger.

When asked about the direct effects that the minimum wage increase will have on agricultural businesses, specifically local vineyards, Leal skirted around the question, “My other job, not only being Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is I also have a responsibility for small business in the province of Ontario. In regards to the changes that will be made concerning the change in minimum wage, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will be making at least 10 stops across the province of Ontario regarding Bill 148, and I encourage people to take advantage of those hearings.”

Granger believes that she is not alone in her concerns saying, “I’m not the only one, Prince Edward County is very agrarian, we are mostly all farmers here.”